KeyCreator 9 - What's New

Table of Contents: 

Table of Contents: 

Performance 3-6 

Transform Operations Average 73% Faster 3 

Chart – Dramatic Transform Improvements 3 

Significant Display Performance Improvements 4 

Chart – Faster Display Updating in 9.0 4 

Customer Quote 4 

Open KeyCreator Models an Average 33% Faster 5 

Chart – CKD Open Performance 5 

File Import Memory Management 6 

Chart – Opening Parasolid-based Files in 9.0 and 8.5 vs. 8.0 6 

Productivity 7-10 

3D Quick Dimensioning 7 

Reviewer Quote 7 

Dynamic Transform 8 

Entity Mating 9 

Change All References 10 

Move Instances between Layouts 10 

Update Tolerance Precision 10 

Interoperability 11 

OBJ Import 11 

ACIS 20 11 

Parasolid 21 11 

Autodesk Inventor 2010 11 

Minor Enhancements 12-20 

Separate Colors for C-Plane and Cutting Plane 12 

Layout Detail Settings From Border File 12 

Batch Print Lists Layouts by Name 13 

File and Window Close and Save Improvements 13 

Feature Hole Depth Up To Face 14 

Fixed Size Arrow Heights and Extension Gaps 15 

Picture Manager 15 

Surface Texture and Coordinate Dimension Leader Side 16 

Option to Automatically Add Parent Levels to Display 16 

Splitter Pane on Right Side 16 

Generic Edit Expanded 17 

Entity Selection Tooltips 17 

Transform Mating Functions 18 

Precise Corner Position Option in Window Selection 18 

Snap Positions 18 

Help System 19 

Modifiers upgraded to DynaHandle 19 

BOM 20 

2 New Features And Benefits 

Are you Ready to Test Drive Version 9? Click here.

Performance 

Transform Operations Average 73% Faster 

KeyCreator internal updating algorithms have been optimized for Version 9.0 to reduce the time needed to complete a variety of editing 

operations. The test data below shows this improvement effecting the performance of transform and Boolean functions on a file with 

numerous layouts. 

Chart – Dramatic Transform Improvements 

A variety of simple tests on a 43 MB mold design containing 400 solids, 1,800 wire entities, and 21 layouts show 

significant performance improvement in transforms between 9.0 vs. 8.5. 

Are you Ready to Test Drive Version 9? Click here. 

New Features And Benefits 3

Chart – Faster Display Updating in 9.0 

Significant Display Performance Improvements 

Over the last several releases improvements have been made in 

the display performance of KeyCreator. These improvements are 

especially important to overall productivity since they are normally 

used many times throughout a design session. 

Customer Quote 

“Finally! Graphics performance the likes of which 

I haven’t seen since CADKEY 19. KeyCreator V9 

manipulates my largest, fully weighted, assembly 

models effortlessly. This release stands heads and 

shoulders above all of Kubotek USA’s previous 

efforts. A fantastic job. Well done. Your users are 

going to say thank you very much!” 

Charley Gressett, Senior Project Engineer, RTS 

Packaging, LLC 

Display performance test results shown here for a 22 MB file with 

80 solids are typical. 



Open KeyCreator Models an Average 33% Faster 

Tests across 8 sample CKD files ranging in size from 4 to 150 MB (61.7 MB average) show substantial improvements in time to open. 

Chart – CKD Open Performance 

Improvements have been made opening CKD files containing solid and surface models. 



Chart – Opening Parasolid-based Files in 

9.0 and 8.5 vs. 8.0 

File Import Memory Management 

Memory management improvements in KeyCreator V9.0 allow 

for importing significantly larger 3D CAD files than ever before. 

All Windows-based programs face memory problems opening 

very large files. Depending on PC RAM and swap file available, 

files of hundreds of Megabytes in size containing thousands of 

bodies could exhaust system memory resources. When system 

resources are completely used up Windows interrupts the 

program using up the memory and terminates it, causing a crash 

before opening is complete. 

By default, KeyCreator 9.0 now writes each body to disk 

and unloads it from memory during the import process. This 

optimization greatly reduces the amount of memory used during 

the import process effectively raising the ceiling of what size file 

can be read with the same system resources. 

A secondary benefit of these changes is that opening and 

importing solids and surfaces from Parasolid files (X_T) and also 

the Parasolids-based SolidWorks files (SLDPRT, SLDASM) is an 

average of nearly 40% faster across test cases. 

KeyCreator 9.0 is consistently faster than 8.0, where 8.5 was similar or slower than 8.0 



Productivity 

3D Quick Dimensioning 

Kubotek’s industry leading Direct Dimension-driven Editing capabilities 

have received more innovative upgrades in KeyCreator V9.0 to save 

users even more time. 

The Dimension Driven Edit function’s initial selection prompt has been 

expanded from accepting just dimensions to also allow selection of 

edges. This supports quickly creating dimensions and driving edits on 

those faces without having to exit the function to dimension them. 

Selection of an edge invokes the Quick Dimension functionality which 

supports dimensioning circular and linear edges, or between two edges. 

This change creates a more flexible flow to use of the Dimension Driven 

Edit function by eliminating requirements for forward planning. 

Locating linear dimensions allows quick toggling between 

adjacent planes and the active C-plane 

A second improvement applies to both the Dimension Driven Edit 

function and the Quick Dimension function. During positioning of 

dimension text the Generic Toggle (the ` key to the left of the 1 key 

by default) allows the user to quickly select the plane they want the 

dimension placed on. This enhancement saves more time and planning 

by eliminating steps required in setting the C-Plane in advance of 

placing the dimension. 

Reviewer Quote 

“I find KeyCreator’s dimension-driven editing system to be superior 

to many others I’ve seen.” 

Kenneth Wong, Desktop Engineering, Virtual Desktop 



Dynamic Transform 

The new Dynamic Transform function provides an intuitive 3D DynaHandle for quickly moving and copying a set of selected entities. The 

simplest method of using the DynaHandle is as a dynamic version of Transform Old-New Base Point. In addition clicking and dragging on the 

arrows of the DynaHandle immediately locks movement in a single direction or rotation on a single axis. 

The DynaHandle appears at a user 

specified base position. 

The Dynamic Transform function provides three context menus for 

precise user input and adjustment of the DynaHandle. 



Entity Mating 

New Entity Mating capabilities attach entities to another entity. They are simple 

to manage as they are created as a type of entity similar to a label. Removing the 

attachment is as simple as deleting the Entity Mate entity. Each Entity Mate can 

be configured to update automatically or refreshed manually. One use of Entity 

Mating is as another tool to help optimize performance with medium to large 

assemblies with or without separating the model into multiple Parts. Components 

and sub-assemblies which are ‘glued’ to a frame part using a fully-locked Entity 

Mate can be turned off from the display. The frame part can then be more quickly 

edited in the area of the attachment without needing to select the components and 

sub-assemblies. Later the components and sub-assemblies can be refreshed to 

the correct attachment position on the frame. For large sets of components and 

sub-assemblies with numerous faces or small solids this technique will help speed 

up selection and editing operations, as well as improve visualization by eliminating 

clutter. 

A variety of Entity Mates are available to specifically control 

orientation, rotation, and position. 

A more sophisticated use of Entity Mates takes advantage of the degrees of 

freedom remaining in a mate. The mated entity can be selected with others for a 

transformation function but will only move toward the new position to the extent 

the freedom allowed by its Entity Mate permits it. An Axial Mate, for example, 

allows the mated entity to move along and around the defined axis but not off of it. 

Using Entity Mates in coordination with transformation functions like this supports 

solving of mechanisms such as horn pins in an injection mold. 

An axial mate applied to this horn pin locks movement along the 

axis of the pin. 



Change All References 

Three new Assemblies edit functions; Streamed, Not Lightweight, and Faceting Refinement 

work recursively through the whole assembly tree of the current part changing options for all 

the referenced parts. Each is a big time-saver that can cut hours of tedious manual opening 

of files to change these settings. These functions are located in a new submenu together with 

other functions which work on multiple references at once. 

The new Change All Refs menu 

Move View Instances between Layouts 

Section, detail, and auxiliary view instances are typically generated quickly off 

of existing orthographic view instances and placed nearby on the same drawing 

layout. In some cases there is not sufficient room to place all such views needed 

on the main multi-view layout. The new Move Instance to Layout function allows 

view instances like that to be easily moved to another drawing layout. Moved 

instances maintain all associativity to instances they were generated from, the 

same as if they were still in the same drawing layout. This new function saves the 

time of creating a copy of the principle view in the second layout and hiding it after 

the associative view is generated. 

Update Tolerance Precision 

The Restyle Tolerance function has been expanded to support the adjustment of 

fractional round-off and precision of selected dimensions. This tool is a significant 

time-saver which allows dimensions to be created with a common set of detail 

style settings without concern for exact formatting and then adjustments to be 

made quickly to the appropriate sets of dimensions during review of specified 

tolerances. 



Interoperability 

OBJ Import 

KeyCreator V9.0 has added support for reading polygon mesh models 

from Wavefront OBJ files commonly used in rendering software. OBJ 

models are created as Shell entities in KeyCreator which are supported 

by all rendering functions. 

OBJ files from common rendering programs can be viewed in KeyCreator. 

ACIS 20 

Support for the ACIS SAT and SAB file formats from DS Spatial have been enhanced to read and write version 20, the latest version of the 

format. 

Parasolid 21 

Support for the ParaSolid X_T and X_B file formats from Siemens PLM have been enhanced to read and write version 21, the latest version of 

the format. 

Autodesk Inventor 2010 

Support for the Inventor IPT and IAM file formats from Autodesk have been enhanced to read version 2010, the latest version of the format. 



Minor Enhancements 

Minor Enhancements 

Separate Colors for C-Plane and Cutting Plane 

Users are now able to set different display colors for Cutting Planes/Sections and the 

Transparent Construction Plane in their design files. 

The option to assign different colors to the transparent 

planes aids in identifying each. 

Layout Detail Settings From Border File 

Configuring detail settings in new drawing layouts can now be automated by storing 

settings in user defined border files. 

The Layout Control dialog provides a new option for 

border files. 



Batch Print Lists Layouts by Name 

The Selection list of the Batch Print dialog now lists all layouts in the active file by name. 

Past releases listed them in numbered form. This change makes it easier to select a 

specific subset of layouts to be printed. 

The Batch Print dialog box Selection list has been 

updated. 

File and Window Close and Save Improvements 

A number of minor improvements have been made in the processes of closing and saving files and closing part windows. 

• Closing a part window for a part which will remain loaded because of references to it will not prompt the user to save 

• Using File Close function with the file locking option enabled will include a step to save the design file to reclaim unused space and 

reduce file size 

• Using File Close function will include a step to purge the Undo history of deleted solids and surfaces to reduce file size 

• Save All and Close All buttons available 

• If multiple files are to be converted from a previous version Yes to All and No to All buttons are available in the dialog. 



Feature Hole Depth Up To Face 

‘Up to face’ has been added as the seventh depth option for solid 

representation of feature holes. 

Tools Feature Counterbored Holes dialog highlighting the 

new Depth option. 

The new Up to face option includes an extra prompt for the user to 

specify a specific face at which the hole should stop. 

This example shows the resulting Counterbore holes using the 5th, 6th, and 

7th Depth options. 



Fixed Size Arrow Heights and Extension Gaps 

Arrow heights and extension line gaps on dimensions can now 

optionally be a set in the Detail Options dialog as a fixed value of 

units. In past releases these arrow heights and gaps were always a 

ratio of main detail text height. 

The Detailing Lines page contains four new check boxes. 

Picture Manager 

The Manage Picture function has been made much easier to use by the addition of standard 

list box editor controls. 

Additionally the Load Picture and Save Picture functions now provide a list box from which 

to select available pictures. 

The list box editor controls are used 

throughout KeyCreator. 



Surface Texture and Coordinate Dimension Leader Side 

Users can now lock the arrow side of the leader to either right or left during placement of Surface Texture 

symbols and Coordinate Dimensions. 

The context menu is displayed 

by using the right button on 

the mouse. 

Option to Automatically Add Parent Levels to Display 

When turning on the display of a sub-level KeyCreator now checks the parent levels, and if they’re not all displayed, asks if they should be 

displayed too. 

Splitter Pane on Right Side 

The splitter pane can now be optionally located on the right 

side of the document window. This provides improvement for 

use of multiple monitors. 

The splitter pane containing the levels list shown here on the right side. 



Generic Edit Expanded 

Material Rendering options are now included in the Generic Edit dialog for solid, 

surface, and shell entities. Standard Properties and Users Properties have been made 

available for all geometric entities. 

The Generic Edit function allows editing of the properties 

of individual entities. 

Entity Selection Tooltips 

All ToolTips displayed during entity selection include the entity type (as a title) and the 

name (optional). 

Tooltips provide quick display of user assigned data. 



Transform Mating Functions 

Several minor improvements have been made to the axis definition interface used in 

Transform Mating functions. 

• Negative axes are also selectable 

• Axes labels are displayed at the ends of the axes indicators 

• Axis can be selected using 6 buttons on the conversation bar 

• Selection toggle (space key) walks through and the highlights 6 different axes 

• Temporary axis lines drawn during Mating functions are infinite in length 

The new axis selector uses colors that match the World 

and CPlane axis indicators. 

Precise Corner Position Option in Window Selection 

A new Position option has been added to Window and Polygon selection 

menu to define the selection area with input of precise positions. 

The classic Window Selection submenu has been expanded. 

Snap Positions 

An associative snap position is now available on the center of ellipse entities. Near Pt position snap locations on faces can be also now be 

associative. These improvements allow greater flexibility for dimensions and entity mates to be attached to models and maintain associativity 

as the model is updated. 



Help System 

To make it easier to find information topics are now listed in the 

Contents tab list organized by folders which match the program 

menu structure. 

Additionally KXL commands have been added to the main help 

system. To save time in adjusting and re-sizing, the new help 

window remembers the location and size assigned to it the last 

time the user had it open. 

The simplified Help System layout uses folders in the Contents list. 

Modifiers upgraded to DynaHandle 

Modifier objects used in Cutting Planes, Prune, Graft, and Deform Curve 

functions have been replaced with a uniform DynaHandle object. The 

DynaHandle stays scaled to a user adjustable ratio of screen height. The 

DynaHandle context menu in all functions includes scale adjustment options. 

Examples of the DynaHandle, some 

with the context menu from the 

Transform Dynamic function. 



BOM 

Virtual Objects can be used as an alternative to part references in setting up BOM data. KeyCreator now 

provides a function to help convert level information into a virtual object counter. 

Another new BOM function allows the user to manually re-check their BOM to catch any changes to data 

linked to it. 

The Level to Virtual Object function 

provides 6 methods for counting the 

number of occurrences of an object. 

Kubotek USA, Inc. 

2 Mount Royal Ave. Suite 500, Marlborough, MA 01752 

Toll-free: 800-372-3872 www.kubotekusa.com 

©Copyright 2009 Kubotek Corporation. All rights reserved. Kubotek, KeyCreator, CADKEY, and Validation Tool are trademarks or registered trademarks of Kubotek Corporation in the USA and/or other countries. All other names mentioned herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of their 

respective owners. 

KCWN-V9

KeyCreator 9 - What's New

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